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Find out more about Andrea

• 1) Did you grow up speaking this language? Or were you inspired by a trip abroad, an individual or a certain aspect of the culture?

  English has become my Second Language. I got inspired to teach English after I took the first course in a good quality language institution. I understood what it is, the advantages I can get from knowing it, and how I can use it in order to communicate my ideas in a totally different way. With English things are explained straightforward.

• 2) Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  It is hard to just mention a character. All I can think of is the American animated sitcom, The Simpsons. They were always part of my childhood and one day, I heard it in English. The fascination of learning words and expressions grew watching this funny and sarcastic TV show. It helped me to keep up with my learning goal and build part of my pronunciation foundation.

• 3) Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or expression in the language that you particularly like?

  It is not that I like it, but there is a word I learned in context and it really surprised me when it came up. This word was DATE. For me, it was just 'day/month/year'. I was not aware of its second meaning and I was forced to learn it when I lived in the USA for a year. By that time, I was learning English immersed in an Anglo-Saxon country. I was really shy and I kept conversation simple with people who spoke English. After the first couple of times, I went out with an English native speaker, he thought we were "dating". In my culture we hang out with friends, if we are interested in each other, we let the other person know and that is it. We do not label that situation. One day, he told me this word DATE and I had a cultural shock. I was confused at first but I let him know I was "dating" nobody. Despite the whole misunderstanding, he took time to explain to me that 'date' is not just a number in the calendar but also a way to say you go out with the person you have a crush on. From that experience, I got that words are not just symbols but also they have a wide range of meaning that represents culture as well. Since then, for me words can be small and beautiful written but they may bring with them a deeper meaning.

• 4) Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Speaking this language has allowed me to reach many goals. Have unique jobs, meet awesome people and get access to unbelievable information.

• 5) What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  People only do exercises and practice the skills they feel good at. An example of that is how some people say they can read and listen with little difficulty. But if they are exposed to speaking or writing, they run away. Most are afraid to commit mistakes. They may not feel they have the right tools to produce what they are expected to after so much input with listening and reading.
  
  All four abilities in English are important and people need to practice them individually due to the fact that they are so different from each other. Include in your study plan exercises with all skills and give extra time to those you struggle with the most. Finally practice every day at least a couple of minutes switching the skills if you like, because that would be the only thing that makes you better.

• 6) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  At school, I only translated books and copied my friends' homework. It is something I am not proud of, but that was the first contact I had with English. Fortunately, years later I had the chance to go to a great place to study and with a conversational focus. It was the moment I start talking like a toddler.

• 7) How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  I travelled to the USA and lived there for a year. This year I improved my English level and also grew personally. I became more fluent and I learnt expressions that helped me to speak almost like an English native speaker. I also learnt that if I speak, it does not mean I know how to write. The lack of practice can affect someone's performance.